Architect-Engineer Services for Multiple-Award Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contracts

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Public Buildings Service (PBS), Northeast and Caribbean Region (Region 2), has a requirement for Multiple-Award, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for supplemental Architect-Engineering (A/E) services. This Notice is a Request For Qualifications (RFQ) of A/E firms interested in contracting for this work. This procurement will be conducted in accordance with Public Law 92- 582, the Brooks Act, FAR Part 36.6, and GSAM Part 536. This RFQ will result in the award of two (2) Multiple-Award, IDIQ contracts as follows: Contract A will consist of Multiple-Award, A/E IDIQ Contracts for projects with an estimated construction cost at award equal to or greater than $8,000,000. Contract A will cover the geographic areas of the New England Region 1 (States of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut) and Region 2 (States of New York, Northern New Jersey, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands). (*Northern New Jersey consists of the following counties: Bergen, Essex, Union, Morris, Passaic, Hudson, Middlesex and Monmouth.) Contract A will be procured as full and open competition. Contract B will consist of the Multiple-Award, A/E IDIQ Contracts for projects with an estimated construction cost at award of less than $8,000,000. Contract B will cover the geographic area of Region 2 only (States of New York, Northern New Jersey*, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands). (*Northern New Jersey consists of the following counties: Bergen, Essex, Union, Morris, Passaic, Hudson, Middlesex and Monmouth.) Contract B will be procured as a total small business set-aside. This procurement involves A/E services for various projects that arise on an as-needed basis as part of the functions of GSA PBS, and will cover projects located in the geographic areas listed above. The scope of work may include, but is not limited to, site investigations, site surveys, feasibility studies, Project Development Studies (PDS), Building Evaluation Reports (BER), master plans, engineering studies, concept designs, construction documents, design-build bridging, design-build scope preparation, estimating services, procurement support, record drawings, constructability reviews, technical design reviews, construction administration services, shop drawing review and approval and construction site inspections, post-construction services, and other A/E Services, to include incidental related work in support of Government-administered construction contracts, facility investigations and research, and planning studies. GSA will hold discussions with six (6) to eight (8) of the most highly-rated firms for each Contract pool (A and B). The intent of this procurement is to award up to five (5) contracts to the most technically qualified A/E firms from each Contract pool (A and B). The term for each of the contracts shall be for a period of five (5) years, including a one (1) year base period plus four (4) one-year unilateral options. The aggregate Maximum Order Limitation (MOL) shall not exceed $25,000,000 for the total five-year term of each awarded contract, resulting in an aggregate MOL not to exceed $125,000,000 for each Multiple-Award IDIQ Contract (A and B). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 541310. The small business size standard for NAICS Code 541310 has average annual gross sales/receipts for the last three years of $8,000,000. Evaluation Factors for Contract A: Interested parties shall submit qualifications in response to the following evaluation factors for Contract A: FACTOR No. 1: SPECIALIZED DESIGN EXPERIENCE (20%): The A/E firm/joint venture shall complete Part 1, Section F & H of the Standard Form 330 for example projects which best illustrate the proposed team's experience for this contract. The AE firm/joint venture shall submit three (3) projects for which construction is completed not more than 6 years prior to the submission due date of the RFQ, as described below: a) One (1) project that is a major renovation or tenant fit-out in an existing building with a minimum construction cost of $1,000,000. b) One (1) project that is a new building with a minimum construction cost of $10,000,000, which achieved a US Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating of certified or above. Projects that have a higher LEED rating (i.e. silver, gold, or platinum) shall be rated higher for this criteria. c) One (1) Master Plan or Design/Construction Study project with a construction estimate over $1,000,000. *At least one project listed above must be located in Region 2's Metropolitan NYC area (for the purposes of this acquisition, Metropolitan NYC is defined as the New York counties of New York, Queens, Kings, Staten Island, Westchester, Suffolk and Nassau; the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Essex, Union, Morris, Passaic, Hudson, Middlesex and Monmouth). **If more than one project submitted is located in Region 2's Metropolitan area, it will receive a higher ranking under Factor 1. Projects that will not be considered for this Factor include water supply-waste treatment facilities; retail stores; warehouses; residential projects; elementary, middle, and/or High School projects; and/or transportation projects. The description for each project shall consist of a narrative describing the specific design approach for the project; and how the client's program, function, image, mission, budget, schedule, local conditions, sustainable strategies and operations and maintenance objectives were satisfied by the overall design/planning solution (maximum of two single-sided pages per project). Include tangible evidence such as certificates, awards, commendations, peer recognition, etc., demonstrating design excellence. FACTOR NO. 2: DESIGN PHILOSOPHY (20%): This factor is intended to demonstrate the A/E firm's understanding of GSA's architectural Design Excellence objectives, the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture, and the A/E firm/joint venture's approach to sustainable design. In Part 1, Section - H of the Standard Form 330, submit; A narrative describing the A/E firm/joint venture's design philosophy and practical approach to delivering Design Excellence to its clients in a consistent manner. Include a statement by the lead designer on his/her personal commitment to the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture, GSA's Design Excellence objectives and sustainable strategies in design. Include a statement to address what design excellence means in projects for this service contract, and how the A/E firm/joint venture will strive to achieve design excellence, as well as its approach to sustainable design (maximum of one single-sided page). FACTOR No. 3: PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (20%): In Part 1, Sections - C, - E & - G of the Standard Form 330, submit; A narrative (maximum of one single-sided page per each key Team Lead Member) describing the education, qualifications, professional registrations and certifications, and professional experience of the following - key A/E Firm and/or Team Lead Personnel: Key Team Lead Personnel: Program Executive Lead Architectural Designer Lead MEP Engineer Describe and provide examples of the project experience of proposed key Team Lead Personnel in delivering A/E services comparable to the services contemplated for these contracts. Include any awards, commendations, or peer recognition for Lead Architectural and/or MEP designers. A maximum of three single-sided pages and three projects per key Team Lead Personnel may be submitted. At a minimum, the Key Team Lead Personnel shall have a Bachelor's Degree and ten (10) years of experience in each respective field, and the Lead Architectural Designer and Lead MEP Engineer shall have a professional license in at least one State of the U.S. Advanced degrees and awards, commendations, or peer recognition for Key Team Lead Personnel in a respective field shall be weighted more heavily for that category. Key Team Members: The evaluation will consider qualifications, relevant project experience and longevity with the firm of key technical personnel in addition to the Key Team Lead Personnel. Technical Personnel must possess the education, qualifications and project experience that will provide the best opportunity for the successful completion of task orders under the proposed contract. The A/E firm/joint venture shall include personnel with professional qualifications in the following disciplines: a) licensed architect b) licensed structural/blast engineer c) licensed mechanical engineer d) licensed electrical engineer e) licensed fire protection engineer f) licensed geotechnical engineer g) hazardous material consultant h) cost estimating consultant For Key Team Members (a) through (f) above, professional qualifications shall be considered to be a Bachelor's Degree and ten (10) years of experience in each respective field, and have a professional license in at least one State of the U.S. Advanced degrees for Key Team Lead Personnel and Key Team Members in a respective field shall be weighted more heavily for that category. For Key Team Members (g) and (h) professional qualifications shall be considered a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in each respective field, with a degree, advanced degree or relevant certification weighted more heavily for that category. FACTOR No. 4: PAST PERFORMANCE (20%): Independent References: Each A/E firm will be required to provide one (1) completed Past Performance questionnaire prepared by the Owner/Owner Representative for each project submitted in Factor No.1. See appendix for the questionnaire to be prepared by the Owner/Owner Representative. The information submitted in the Standard Form 330 and the questionnaires submitted by the project Owner/Owner Representative will be used to evaluate past performance. *Other project references may be considered. Note that GSA will not limit its reference contacts to those provided by an A/E firm; instead GSA may choose to contact references independent of those provided. GSA will use government-wide past performance evaluation systems such as CPARS (not to exceed 6 years back), etc. FACTOR No. 5: CAPACITY TO ACCOMPLISH THE WORK (15%): The A/E Firm/joint venture shall provide an attachment, under Section - D of the Standard Form 330, which best illustrates the Organizational Chart of the proposed Team for this contract. All roles, responsibilities and lines of communication shall be defined, clear and efficient. Additionally, the A/E Firm/joint venture shall provide a Project Management Plan, under Section - H of the Standard Form 330, that will address the following: Demonstrate how it will efficiently and effectively cover all of the anticipated work within the geography of GSA Regions 1 and 2 (States of New York, Northern New Jersey, Maine , Vermont , New Hampshire , Massachusetts , Rhode Island , and Connecticut , the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands); Demonstrate how it will deal with the scheduling and staffing issues that may result from the issuance of multiple task orders, and assigning Team Leads for multiple projects Explain how the A/E team will ensure project quality and cost control; The Organizational Chart and Project Management Plan shall not exceed four (4) 8-1/2 x 11 single-sided pages (single-spaced, with a minimum 11 point Arial font). FACTOR No. 6: GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION (5%): In order to receive full credit for Factor No. 6, the A/E firm shall demonstrate that, at a minimum, 35% of contract fees for all orders placed under this contract will be performed within a 100-mile radius of GSA Region 2 offices located at One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 due to anticipation that a greater percentage of work will be performed within this geographical area. The A/E Firm shall submit a narrative explaining where all proposed architectural and sub-consultant entities for this contract are located. Refer to Factor 3 for team members. If the A/E firm cannot demonstrate a minimum of 35% of contract fees for all orders placed under this contract will be performed within the 100-mile radius, a plan must be provided as part of your proposal, showing the establishment of this office within 45 days after contract award. This plan is intended to demonstrate that the A/E firm has the ability to achieve the 35% geographic location requirement, but will have no bearing on increasing the Factor rating at the time of submission. Evaluation Factors for Contract B: Interested parties shall submit qualifications in response to the following evaluation factors for Contract B: FACTOR No. 1: SPECIALIZED DESIGN EXPERIENCE (20%): The A/E firm/joint venture shall complete Part 1, Section F & H of the Standard Form 330 for example projects which best illustrate the proposed team's experience for this contract. The A/E firm/joint venture shall submit three (3) projects for which construction was completed not more than 6 years prior to the submission due date of the RFQ, as described below: a) One (1) project that is a tenant fit-out in an existing building with a minimum construction cost of $1,000,000. b) One (1) project that is a new building or a major building modernization with a minimum construction cost of $4,000,000, which achieved a US Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating of certified or above. Projects that have a higher LEED rating (i.e. silver, gold, or platinum) shall be rated higher for this criteria. c) One (1) Pre-Design Study (Master Plan or Feasibility Study), or Design/Construction Study project with a construction estimate over $800,000. *At least one project listed above must be located in Region 2's Metropolitan NYC area (for the purposes of this acquisition, Metropolitan NYC is defined as the New York counties of New York, Queens, Kings, Staten Island, Westchester, Suffolk and Nassau; the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Essex, Union, Morris, Passaic, Hudson, Middlesex and Monmouth). **If more than one project submitted is located in Region 2's Metropolitan area, it will receive a higher ranking under Factor 1. Projects that will not be considered for this Factor include water supply-waste treatment facilities; retail stores; warehouses; residential projects; elementary, middle, and/or High School projects; and/or transportation projects. The description for each project shall consist of a narrative describing the specific design approach for the project; and how the client's program, function, image, mission, budget, schedule, local conditions, sustainable strategies and operations and maintenance objectives were satisfied by the overall design/planning solution (maximum of two single-sided pages per project). Include tangible evidence such as certificates, awards, commendations, peer recognition, etc., demonstrating design excellence. FACTOR NO. 2: DESIGN PHILOSOPHY (20%): This factor is intended to demonstrate the A/E firm's understanding of GSA's architectural Design Excellence objectives, the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture, and the A/E firm/joint venture's approach to sustainable design. In Part 1, Section - H of the Standard Form 330, submit; A narrative describing the A/E firm/joint venture's design philosophy and practical approach to delivering Design Excellence to its clients in a consistent manner. Include a statement by the lead designer on his/her personal commitment to the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture, GSA's Design Excellence objectives and sustainable strategies in design. Include a statement to address what design excellence means in projects for this service contract, and how the A/E firm/joint venture will strive to achieve design excellence, as well as its approach to sustainable design, (maximum of one single-sided page). FACTOR No. 3: PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (20%): In Part 1, Sections - C, - E & - G of the Standard Form 330, submit; A narrative (maximum of one single-sided page per each Key Team Lead Member) describing the education, qualifications, professional registrations and certifications, and professional experience of the following - key A/E Firm and/or Team Lead Personnel: Key Team Lead Personnel: Program Executive Lead Architectural Designer Lead MEP Engineer Describe and provide examples of the project experience of proposed Key Team Lead Personnel in delivering A/E services comparable to the services contemplated for these contracts. Include any awards, commendations, or peer recognition for Lead Architectural and/or MEP designers. A maximum of three single-sided pages and three projects per Key Team Lead Personnel may be submitted. At a minimum, the Key Team Lead Personnel shall have a Bachelor's Degree and ten (10) years of experience in each respective field, and the Lead Architectural Designer and Lead MEP Engineer shall have a professional license in at least one State of the U.S. Advanced degrees and awards, commendations, or peer recognition for Key Team Lead Personnel in a respective field shall be weighted more heavily for that category. Key Team Members: The evaluation will consider qualifications, relevant project experience and longevity with the firm of key technical personnel in addition to the Key Team Lead Personnel. Technical Personnel must possess the education, qualifications and project experience that will provide the best opportunity for the successful completion of task orders under the proposed contract. The A/E firm/joint venture shall include personnel with professional qualifications in the following disciplines: a) licensed architect b) licensed structural/blast engineer c) licensed mechanical engineer d) licensed electrical engineer e) licensed fire protection engineer f) licensed geotechnical engineer g) hazardous material consultant h) cost estimating consultant For Key Team Members (a) through (f) above, professional qualifications shall be considered to be a Bachelor's Degree and ten (10) years of experience in each respective field, and have a professional license in at least one State of the U.S. Advanced degrees for Key Team Lead Personnel and Key Team Members in a respective field shall be weighted more heavily for that category. For Key Team Members (g) and (h) professional qualifications shall be considered a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in each respective field, with a degree, an advanced degree or relevant certification weighted more heavily for that category. FACTOR No. 4: PAST PERFORMANCE (20%): Independent References: Each A/E firm will be required to provide one (1) completed Past Performance questionnaire prepared by the Owner/Owner Representative for each project submitted in Factor No.1. See appendix for the questionnaire to be prepared by the Owner/Owner Representative. The information submitted in the Standard Form 330 and the questionnaires submitted by the project Owner/Owner Representative will be used to evaluate past performance. *Other project references may be considered. Note that GSA will not limit its reference contacts to those provided by an A/E firm; instead GSA may choose to contact references independent of those provided. GSA will use government-wide past performance evaluation systems such as CPARS (not to exceed 6 years back), etc. FACTOR No. 5: CAPACITY TO ACCOMPLISH THE WORK (15%): The A/E Firm/joint venture shall provide an attachment, under Section - D of the Standard Form 330, which best illustrates the Organizational Chart of the proposed Team for this contract. All roles, responsibilities and lines of communication shall be defined, clear and efficient. Additionally, the A/E Firm/joint venture shall provide a Project Management Plan, under Section - H of the Standard Form 330, that will address the following: Demonstrate how it will efficiently and effectively cover all of the anticipated work within the geography of GSA Regions 2 (States of New York and Northern New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands); Demonstrate how it will deal with the scheduling and staffing issues that may result from the issuance of multiple task orders, and assigning Team Leads for multiple projects. Explain how the A/E team will ensure project quality and cost control; The Organizational Chart and Project Management Plan shall not exceed four (4) 8-1/2 x 11 single-sided pages (single-spaced, with a minimum 11 point Arial font). FACTOR No. 6: GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION (5%): For Factor No. 6, the A/E firm shall demonstrate that at a minimum 35% of contract fees for all orders placed under this contract will be performed within a 100-mile radius of GSA Region 2 offices located at 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007 due to anticipation that a greater percentage of work will be performed within this geographical area. The A/E Firm shall submit a narrative explaining where all proposed architectural and sub-consultant entities for this contract are located. Refer to Factor 3 for team members. If the A/E firm cannot demonstrate a minimum of 35% of contract fees for all orders placed under this contract will be performed within the 100-mile radius, a plan must be provided as part of your proposal, showing the establishment of this office within 45 days after contract award. This plan is intended to demonstrate that the A/E firm has the ability to achieve the 35% geographic location requirement, but will have no bearing on increasing the Factor rating at the time of submission. Submission Requirements: Interested firms having the capabilities to perform this work must respond by submitting a Letter Of Interest, Standard Form 330 (SF 330) Architect-Engineer Qualifications Parts I and II in electronic PDF format along with supporting data that specifically responds to the evaluation factors of the RFQ. The SF 330 shall be limited to 50 pages (8 x11 pages) for the entire A/E team proposed. Specify in your Letter of Interest which Contract (A or B) you are responding to. All SF 330s must be signed and current reflecting a date not more than one (1) year from the date of this notice. All example projects provided in the SF 330 must be completed by the office/branch/individual team member actually performing the work under this contract. Projects not performed by the office/branch/individual team member will be excluded from evaluation consideration. The SF 330 must clearly state the office/branch/individual team members performing the work on all projects presented. All responsive submissions will be evaluated by a Technical Evaluation Board (TEB). The firms will be ranked with the highest rated proposals on the top of the list. After the evaluation of the submissions, GSA will shortlist six (6) to eight (8) of the most highly rated firms from each Contract (A and B). The shortlisted firms will be invited for interviews and further evaluated prior to recommendation and approval of the selected A/E firm(s). The shortlist will be advertised on Beta.SAM.gov. The firms must ensure the SF 330 Architect-Engineer Qualifications Parts I and II reflect the entire design team. Rate/price proposal(s) will be requested following the selection of the most technically qualified firm(s) from each Contract (A and B). (Note; the shortlisted A/E firms will be required to provide an electronic copy of the A/E's Small Business Subcontracting Plan for Contract A submissions if the awardee is a large or other-than-small business. The Small Business Subcontracting Plan template will be provided to the shortlisted firms for Contract A.) Requirements of Joint Ventures: (1) All qualifications packages submitted by joint ventures must include a copy of an executed joint venture agreement (with original signatures) which fully discloses the legal identity of each member of the joint venture, the relationship between the members, the form of ownership of each member, and any limitations on liability or authority for each member. (2) An authorized representative of each member of the joint venture must sign the contract accompanying an offer regardless of any agency relationship established between the members. (3) In the case of corporations that are joint venture members, the corporation secretary must certify that the corporation is authorized to participate in the joint venture, either by so certifying in the joint venture agreement, or by submitting a separate certification to the Government. The joint venture must also provide a certificate that identifies a principal representative of the joint venture with full authority to bind the joint venture. (4) Representations and certifications and financial information must be submitted for each member of the joint venture. Firms which desire consideration and meet the requirements described in this RFQ are invited to submit the complete qualifications package. All submissions must be sent via email to Jordana Covrigaru, Contracting Officer, at jordana.covrigaru@gsa.gov, with a copy to Brad Edwards, Contract Specialist, at brad.edwards@gsa.gov. Only electronic PDF submissions will be considered. No late submissions will be accepted. ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE by 3PM local time on March 10, 2020. The deadline for all Requests for Information (RFI) is 3:00PM local time on February 19, 2020. All RFIs must be submitted in writing via email to the Contracting Officer. For informational purposes: All offerors are required to have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) (www.sam.gov) at the time of offer submission. If you have any questions regarding this procurement, please contact Jordana Covrigaru, Contracting Officer, at jordana.covrigaru@gsa.gov, or Brad Edwards, Contract Specialist, at brad.edwards@gsa.gov.